ITV launched Thunderbirds Are Go in style today at the BFI Southbank in central London to a packed house of fans and journalists, desperate for their first real glimpse of the new series.
The audience was treated to the opening two-part story, Ring of Fire, which had been edited together to make a single 50-minute episode. The BFI’s superb NFT1 screening room did full justice to the visual effects and soundtrack, which wowed fans of all ages and roused several rounds of applause mid-viewing.
It was an action-packed introduction to the series that, in terms of pacing, was reminiscent of the opening double-bill of New Captain Scarlet. Resoundly embedding all the major core elements of the series format, Ring of Fire introduces all the regular characters and vehicles during an exhilarating pair of rescue missions orchestrated by the Hood.
A Q&A session followed the screening, featuring ITV Executive Producers Giles Ridge and Estelle Hughes, Head Writer Rob Hoegee and voice artists David Graham, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Kayvan Novak. David Menkin, Rasmus Hardiker and Andres Williams were also in attendance. Hoegee re-stated some of the small reveals about the series that he made at a recent Q&A on Reddit, including further insights into the fate of Jeff Tracy and the return of a certain star vehicle from the original series…
The screening was organised as part of the BFI’s regular Fun Day event for children, and included a storyboarding competition and animation stands to help younger fans bring the series to life.